Socks for the homeless

When Kathy Francis was in the hospital for back surgery, she noticed how many good pairs of socks are thrown out by the hospital if the patient does not want to take them home.  When she began working at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital six months after her surgery, she asked permission to salvage discarded socks.

That was eight years ago, and so far she's helped donate about 13,000 pairs of socks to people who need them. She collects about 35 pairs a week, washes them at home with a little bleach, folds them and stores them in brown paper bags, which she delivers to Tony Bonacci, a deacon at St. Joseph Catholic Church. He delivers them to a soup kitchen where he volunteers. Socks are often the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters.